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The graphic is of the Passubio Ossuary. Entombed within it's tower are the bones of over Italian & Austrian soldiers who died trying to kill each other in alpine fighting in Italy's Dolomites During WWI. For those like myself who are interested in military history, you may find it interesting....(or not) Below I'll leave a primer. I would add that, today, many people hike these mountainous trails and tunnels dug in to these Italian Alps by Austrian and Italian engineers. If you continue looking for information, the sheer engineering feats and majestic views will leave you astounded that, 100 years or more ago, these alps were a battlefield in which thousands of men on both sides died above the clouds. Left behind are the equipment and structures that were built in to the sides of these mountains. I'm intrigued enough that I'd love to take a little trip....

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Read about the Alpine fighting. I'd like to explore all of that myself!
Rommel in WW1!
As the war trudged on, the Italian front opened up, and Rommel was moved there with the Royal Wurttemberg Mountain Battalion. These were the elite of the German infantry, trained in small group tactics, and dedicated to the ideals of careful, thought out, and incredibly violent attacks. Rommel was with troops who fought and thought like him, and he would lead them to great success. Between the 24th and 27th October, 1917, now an Oberleutnant, Rommel led some of the most successful attacks of his entire life.

He was tasked with taking Italian positions high on Mt. Matajur. On the 25th his men moved out at first light, snaking their way up Kolovrat ridge, and found that the Italians were hunkered down in their trenches, ignoring a Bavarian company’s assault on neighboring positions. Rommel hid his men only 200 yards from the enemy, and sending out scouts found a pass behind their lines. His men followed him through, and they jumped into the Italian positions from the rear, taking hundreds of prisoners in a matter of minutes. But the Italians counter-attacked, and rifle fire rained down from positions above Kolovrat.

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Read about the Alpine fighting. I'd like to explore all of that myself!
Rommel in WW1!
As the war trudged on, the Italian front opened up, and Rommel was moved there with the Royal Wurttemberg Mountain Battalion. These were the elite of the German infantry, trained in small group tactics, and dedicated to the ideals of careful, thought out, and incredibly violent attacks. Rommel was with troops who fought and thought like him, and he would lead them to great success. Between the 24th and 27th October, 1917, now an Oberleutnant, Rommel led some of the most successful attacks of his entire life.

He was tasked with taking Italian positions high on Mt. Matajur. On the 25th his men moved out at first light, snaking their way up Kolovrat ridge, and found that the Italians were hunkered down in their trenches, ignoring a Bavarian company’s assault on neighboring positions. Rommel hid his men only 200 yards from the enemy, and sending out scouts found a pass behind their lines. His men followed him through, and they jumped into the Italian positions from the rear, taking hundreds of prisoners in a matter of minutes. But the Italians counter-attacked, and rifle fire rained down from positions above Kolovrat.

There is nothing like seeing history right there where things happened. We all learn about the Roman Empire in school, about the Coliseum and the races and events that happened there, but nothing becomes more real than standing in the middle of the Coliseum, looking at those huge wooden doors and wondering which ones the lions came out from and which ones the Christians. Where did the Caesars sit to watch the bloodthirsty gladiator fights? I stood there in awe just trying to drink in everything.

That whole battlefield was above the clouds. I just can't conceive how much engineering went in to that battlefield, with passageways drilled through solid mountains, cabins built on sheer cliff faces, and artillery literally hauled up mountains. Just----mind boggling if you take the time to look at it, some of which is still viewable today. It's like the Dolomites periodically gives up some of it's secrets on dark nights or something

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